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Sunday, 12 May 2013

Minsmere Dawn Chorus

Dad and I had a ridiculously early start yesterday morning, having to get up at 2:30am to get to Minsmere for 4am for the Dawn Chorus guided walk. We were only there for the morning, because we had to do jobs in the afternoon. My luck wasn't with me though, because my camera had a card error, so I couldn't take any pictures for the first part of the morning. We started off with Nightingale, Bittern, Cuckoo and Tawny Owl before collecting all the other warblers and passerines. In Bittern Hide we saw a distant Barn Owl with a Hobby, and in Island Mere, booming Bitterns, squealing Water Rail and jolting Reed and Sedge Warblers. We got back and I tried to get my camera to work. The SD card had got wet because of the rain, so it just needed a dry and it was working well. Here's our fantastic breakfast....

We then went out on our own to see the pair of Stone-curlew that had newly arrived, and we had a look at North Scrape before moving onto Westleton Heath. We got the cracking Stone-curlews, with an unexpected Whinchat, and then a weasel which had caught a rabbit.

North Scrape produced a cracking drake Garganey which was soon put up by a Marsh Harrier, and 3 Arctic Terns. We then went to Westleton Heath, to try and get Woodlark and Dartford Warbler on the year list. We got at least 2 of each specie, with a very nice Willow Warbler.

Dartford Warblers - 2 birds

Willow Warbler

Woodlark

When I got rare bird alert up back at home, it said that a Cattle Egret was briefly on South Levels with a Spoonbill. We had already seen 3 Spoonbill from Island Mere, so I wasn't really bothered about seeing them, but I have never seen a Cattle Egret in the UK before. Also, today, a Savi's Warbler was present on the reserve. Maybe that was there yesterday too?

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About Me

Hi, I’m Ben, and I am a very keen birder. I first started birding when I was 6, and I am still going now at 16. I go birding in Suffolk (where I am based), Norfolk and annually Scotland. I have a patch near Ipswich, which attracts Little Ringed Plovers, other passage waders and occasional passage migrants. I've seen 3 MEGA's in my birding career: Spectacled Warbler, Little Crake and Harlequin Duck. I have also seen many rarities: too many to mention!. I also play golf, where I do a bit of birdwatching as well as the golf. When I leave school, I wish to work for the BTO.